28 Jan Jamia Ahmadiyya UK and Canada Convocation take place in joint-ceremony

25 graduates receive their Shahid degrees from Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

17 graduates from the UK and 8 graduates from Canada

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is pleased to announce that on 16 January 2016, the 4th Convocation ceremony for Jamia Ahmadiyya UK and the 6th Convocation ceremony for Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada took place in a combined event at the UK college premises in Haslemere, Surrey.

The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad presided over the ceremony and delivered the keynote address.

During the ceremony, 17 graduates from Jamia Ahmadiyya UK and 8 graduates from Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada were presented with their ‘Shahid Degree’ certificates by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad and were thus enrolled as official Missionaries and Imams of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Following the presentation, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad delivered a faith-inspiring address, in which he said that the young missionaries were now entering a new chapter in their lives as they moved on from being students to being representatives of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“Always remember that your objectives are to guide mankind towards establishing a connection with God Almighty and to fulfil their responsibilities towards one another. If our Missionaries reflect upon the magnitude of their responsibilities, it will undoubtedly shake them to their very core as they realise the burden of their duties.”

His Holiness cited the example of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), whose complete faith and devotion to God Almighty is mentioned in the Holy Quran.

His Holiness said that Ahmadi Missionaries must follow this example and remain forever faithful to God Almighty.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said that the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community had taught that true faith in God required a form of ‘death’. His Holiness explained this meant that a person should be ready to forgo all worldly pleasures, personal desires and be ready to endure all trials and tribulations for the sake of God Almighty.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“True faith and true devotion requires a person to willingly invoke the demise of his personal ego. Certainly, every Missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community must seek to attain such standards and be willing to sacrifice their own honour for the sake of their faith. They must be willing to bear all forms of hardship because only then will they be in a position to guide and reform others. Only then will they be ready to call others towards the truth.”

His Holiness said that Ahmadi Missionaries should set an example in humility and self-sacrifice. He cited the example of an old Ahmadi Muslim Missionary who had served in Africa and who would eat stale bread dipped in water without complaint. His only aim was to fulfil his duties as a Missionary.

The Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community counselled the graduates to study the Holy Quran daily and to reflect upon its meaning. He said that it would act as a “guidebook” in all aspects of their lives and would enable them to fulfil their duties.

His Holiness also stressed the importance of studying the books of the Promised Messiah (peace be on him), as they were both a means of increasing a person’s knowledge of true Islam and their love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

His Holiness stated that dozens of graduates from Jamia Ahmadiyya UK and Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada were now serving the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in various capacities and were working well.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“With the Grace of Allah, those young Missionaries who have graduated from Jamia Ahmadiyya UK and Canada in the past few years have been a source of comfort for me and are acting as my helpers. It is a cause of happiness for me to see them serving in this way and I hope and pray that the graduating class and all subsequent classes continue to raise the standards of their predecessors.”

His Holiness particularly emphasised the importance of Missionaries involving the youth in the activities and programs of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

He said it was the responsibility of the Missionaries to develop strong bonds with Ahmadi Muslim youths, to educate them and to show them that they were a very important part of the community.

His Holiness said that wherever a Missionary is stationed, he is a representative of Khilafat (Caliphate) and so each Missionary should understand the gravity of this responsibility. He said that the challenges each class would face would be greater than those faced by previous classes as the world was moving further away from God Almighty.

Concluding, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“I pray that you never do anything that reflects badly or defames the name of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the Promised Messiah (peace be on him). Rather, may you all further enlighten the name of our Community through your deeds and pious conduct. May Allah enable you to be successful in all your good endeavours and to grow ever closer to God Almighty.”